A large magnifying glass (colposcope) is used to examine the cervix and vaginal area - this instrument doesn’t go inside you, so for most women this is a painless examination, but a speculum like the one used for a smear is used so some may find it a bit uncomfortable. A colposcopy can be carried out safely during pregnancy.
If an abnormal area of tissue is identified, a small biopsy (sample of tissue about the size of a pinhead) may be taken from the surface of the cervix for further analysis. You may feel a slight scratch or stinging, but it should not be painful.
Sometimes treatment to remove abnormal cells can be carried out during the colposcopy, and this will usually be carried out under a local anaesthetic so the area to be treated is numbed. A heated wire loop (loop excision) can be used to remove the abnormal cells, a procedure which is around 90% successful.
A large magnifying glass (colposcope) is used to examine the cervix and vaginal area - this instrument doesn’t go inside you, so for most women this is a painless examination, but a speculum like the one used for a smear is used so some may find it a bit uncomfortable. A colposcopy can be carried out safely during pregnancy.
If an abnormal area of tissue is identified, a small biopsy (sample of tissue about the size of a pinhead) may be taken from the surface of the cervix for further analysis. You may feel a slight scratch or stinging, but it should not be painful.
Sometimes treatment to remove abnormal cells can be carried out during the colposcopy, and this will usually be carried out under a local anaesthetic so the area to be treated is numbed. A heated wire loop (loop excision) can be used to remove the abnormal cells, a procedure which is around 90% successful.
A colposcopy should take around five minutes, but perhaps slightly longer if a biopsy is taken or if further treatment is carried out at the same time.
A colposcopy should take around five minutes, but perhaps slightly longer if a biopsy is taken or if further treatment is carried out at the same time.